Once Upon a Summer: Seasons of the Heart, Book 1

Best-selling author of Too Long a Stranger and Julia's Last Hope, Janette Oke is loved for her inspirational novels. In Once Upon a Summer, Oke weaves the tender tale of 12-year-old, Joshua, who has been raised by his 18-year-old aunt and their grandparents. He has grown accustomed to their close-knit family, but that is all about to change when Joshua's aunt considers marriage. Johnny Heller touchingly narrates the trials of faith this family must face.

I thoroughly enjoyed all four audiobooks in this series, this being the first. We cannot (yet!) locate books by series as far as I know - I can say that all four (and the sequence is Summer - Autumn - Winter - Spring) are excellent. Well written, and extremely well read, with voices capturing and conveying the unique personalities of the various kind and memorable characters. I will watch for other Audible offerings by both this author and narrator! Enjoy!!

Involuntary Witness: Guido Guerrieri Series, Book 1

A nine-year-old boy is found murdered at the bottom of a well near a popular beach resort in southern Italy. In what looks like a hopeless case for Guido Guerrieri, a Senegalese peddler is accused of the crime. Faced with small-town racism, Guido attempts to exploit the esoteric workings of the Italian courts. The voice of Sean Barrett brings this gritty Italian detective series to life.

The story didn't match the online description; blow-by-blow details of the main character were not necessary. As it is, I found it boring -- and hard to remember what the true story line was all about.

What could Gianrico Carofiglio have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Give us a novel with a great legal story line.

What three words best describe Sean Barrett’s performance?

The voice seemed to belong to someone much older than the character -- since it was written in the first person, it was a bad fit for this narrator, even though the vocal quality was good.

What character would you cut from Involuntary Witness?

I would avoid mentioning all the problems that the main character has - such as alcohol abuse... not essential to the story line.

Any additional comments?

I started listening to this book much too late --- I would have returned it....

Whiskey Beach

For more than 300 years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore - and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home.… A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of - but never arrested for - the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though.

It took three tries to get through the first 15 minutes so that I understood what was being said. This reader was very difficult to understand at first. He seemed to swallow the last syllable of every sentence. I turned up the volume (to very loud) so that I could hear – the surname “Landon” sounded like “Land….” the first few times it was spoken.

I found myself paying more attention to the reader’s tone than to the story as I tried to understand why this was “audibly” off to such a rough start. His finished product was overly expressive -- was he trying too hard? It seemed to get better after the first half hour – maybe he settled into a reading momentum that was comfortable for him. I don’t think I’ll follow this reader past this book, whether I make it to the end or not.

15 minutes into the story came a tirade of cruel profanity - and there are many more instances of this in the book. It may be consistent with the story line and the personality of the main character, but it's absolutely NOT enjoyable listening, and (in my value system) offensive at times. I don’t remember Nora Roberts writing on this path before. What a shame.

Nonetheless, the story line does capture the listener’s attention, and I’m going to try to stick with it.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Waiting for Summer's Return

Suddenly all alone in 1894 Kansas, Summer Steadman can't find the employment she needs to settle near the fresh graves of her husband and four children. Bitter against the Lord and refusing to eat, she collapses in despair. Remembering his own painful loss, godly widower Peter Ollenbuger offers her food and shelter for tutoring his 10-year-old son.

This is by far one of my favorite audiobooks so far - consistent with all the other reviews, I found it to be a great story, and the narrator was outstanding in her conveying the different voices and personalities. I hope Kim Vogel Sawyer keeps writing, and I would especially love to see this book have a few sequels!!

The Long Road Home

Gabriella's world is a confusing blend of abuse, terror, and pain with no safe place to hide from her parents' violent rage. She gains reprieve when she is abandoned to a convent, a safe, peaceful place where her battered body and soul begin to mend and grow into womanhood. Then a young priest comes into her life. Confession leads to friendship. And friendship grows dangerously into love...

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